Route to Narbonne

[KD1]

As I intend to travel from Calais or Dunkerq towards end of August, could you possibly advise of best route to Narbonne in South of France. I wish to avoid Toll Motorways. I have gone via Rouen before-but via Paris looks a better option. Any feedback along with possible Aires would be much appreciated.

[Brian Kirby]

Not trying to be unhelpful, but there are many definitions of "best", and many potential routes From Calais to Narbonne. The sky, more or less, is the limit!

 

My suggestion is to get yourself a an up-to-date copy of Microsoft Autoroute (I think 2010 is still the latest), stick it on your computer, and just play. It is not difficult to use, and is quite flexible as to what kinds of routes you prefer. I have found the nearest approximation to workable driving speeds for motorhomes, is to set the driving speeds, except for "Main motorways" to the slowest setting, with "Main motorways" set at one graduation faster. This will then also give you approximate timings along your preferred route, from which you can decide when you will be likely to want to stop, and therefore where. It really is a great route planning tool. You can obtain literally thousands of downloadable "pushpins" for camp sites, aires, supermarkets etc, than can be switched on or off on the maps. It also covers the whole of Europe, so will "do" for a number of future trips as well. It works for us, and works very well.

[scramblers]

Annually we visit Barcelona and the route that I have used on a number of occasions is:

 

From Calais to Rouen ( aires to the East of Rouen at La Milleraye sur Seine or Jumieges) then onto Chartres, Orleans, Vierzon and Bourges (free aire in the centre of town opposite sports stadium). From Bourges swing across to pick up the N7 and down to Clemont-Ferrand and onto the A75, which takes you down to the Med coast close to Narbonne. There are numerous aires along the A75, I tend to use one at St Flour. The distance is about 725 miles.

 

Depending on how long you wish to drive for then stops can be added or left out. The route is totally toll free, the only charge is for the aire at La Milleraye sur Seine which is, I believe, now 5€.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[lennyhb]

Another vote for Autoroute, I can live without satnav but not without Autoroute.

 

As Brian says it's very flexible, if you don't like the route it's plotted you can just click and drag to the road you want to go down. Toll roads are shown in a diffident colour & you can set it avoid them.

 

Agreeing with Brian again the push pins are a great feature much more usable than POI's on a satnav, you can easily add your own notes to them in the pop up boxes.

 

You can have multiple programs open at the same time so you can compare routes.

[Cattwg]

KD1 - 2011-07-25 11:16 AM

but via Paris looks a better option.

 

I would advise against going through Paris. We have used that route twice when heading south. The second time we missed our exit off La Peripherique and spent a very stressful hour trying to sort ourselves out - La Peripherique is like Brand’s Hatch at rush hour. That was about 5 years ago - we have not used it since.

Cattwg :-D

[lennyhb]

No, No, never go via Paris, La Peripherique can add a couple of very unpleasant hours to your journey, the M25 in rush hour is fast by comparison.

[Alan D]

Yes I agree with scramblers, I don`t know if its the quickest but having used it a few times it`s ok. Calais to Montville Aire to Bourges (where we got free water and electric earlier this year) to Clermont Ferrand Aire just off the island then on to my favorite road A75 to Millau ( pull off before bridge to avoid toll and spend the night on the Aire or campsite) get cheap fuel in the town and back on to the road after the bridge down on to Beziers where we found a new link road has been built and on to Narbonne. We did not stay on the Aire at Narbonne as I think this may have been the huge Aire full of germans and french parked up in great rows 6" apart, ok if you like company though.

Alan.

[Tony Jones]

I can only "speak as I find," but I've never had a problem with the Peripherique since we got the SatNav.

Prior to that, avoided it like the plague!!

 

Since you're starting from Calais or Dunk., it doesn't make much difference whether you do most of the "westward" leg early on, and use something like the N10, or go south straight away and west later.

 

For my money (or lack of it!), the A75 is free from Clermont-Ferrand onwards (apart from Millau viaduct), and there are good RN alternatives to the earlier (toll) part of it.

[robertandjean]

Sticking with the A75 based route, which is one we often use then we would use following aires:

La Mailleraye-sur-Seine (On river Seine, 5€/night)

Rugles (All free inc electrics) or Brezolles (free)

Briare (aire free parking, services charged; but best parking not at aire but on canal side)

St Poucain-sur-Sioule (free parking in lovely setting on an old campsite- knew those camp site things would not last !!!)

Le Monastier-Pin-Mories (free parking, charged services, very handy for A75)

Millau (free parking, charge services)

then to Narbonne. We stay on the aire in Narbonne not Narbonne Plage, which we suspect is the one mentioned earlier. The one to aim for is at the Pand R on the Guissan side of Narbonne opp Carrefour supermarket. This aire costs 10€/night inc electricity with free bus into Narbonne centre (free wi-fi at TO in Narbonne). This aire was closed for re-development, so may not be in some books but is now re-open.

Do not use Autoroute etc, simply put GPS co-ords of next aire into sat nav, set to fastest route avoiding toll roads and seems to work well, only finishing up on the odd farm track!

 

[KD1]

Thanks to everybody for their feedback. As usual a lot of useful information.